HEY... i updated early nuff, right? luvyall soo much 4 reading thisss, Enjoy....

Months passed. Murtagh was still tied up. Nasuada constantly visits him, asking him information about Galbotorix's plans, or so Eragon thought. Trianna had had her revenge for giving Eragon the Love potion. He gave her the freedom to do what she wants with him, and he slapped him twice and left it at that. It wasn't a cruel punishment, Eragon thought.

Arya and Eragon's relationship had not developed, as well as his relationship with Orik. Every time Eragon walked by either of them, they ignored his presence completely. Eragon, though, still stood by his decision of not killing Murtagh.

Nasuada, Eragon noticed, had a paler face than usual. Her eyes were unusually wide. Eragon feared her alien-like face sometimes. It was only after three months had Eragon realized why.

Her belly, it was growing.

She was pregnant.

When he noticed, he did not confront her immediately. Whoever the father was, he had to know. It was his job to protect Nasuada, and so he wanted to approve of him.

He visited her a few days after he realized.

"Who is the father?" he asked immediately.

"You noticed." It was not a question.

"I expect my question to be answered."

"And I expect not to answer it. Do not seem as if you are of higher power than I am. It is a personal matter. Do not speak so openly of it. Close the subject." Eragon was not shocked by the answer. He felt as if Nasuada would say something like that. He wanted desperately to know who would have taken Nausada's heart.

Can it possibly be, Murtagh? Eragon thought. Nasuada has kept visiting Murtagh. But how? Murtagh is tied up. He cannot have possibly been untied to be able to bed Nasuada. It can't be Murtagh, because if he was untied, he would have carried himself and ran away, for he was bound to Galbotorix.

So it can't be Murtagh. It could be Joromundur. They have known each other for quite some time.

Eragon's urge to know who he is, got him to think. Why would Nasuada think of doing such when they are in the midst of battle that would change Algaseia? It was so unlike her. Maybe she was forced. But then why wouldn't she say anything? Could he have blackmailed her?

Whatever the case, he wanted to know. He argued with Nasuada until she ordered him away.

Days passed…

Eragon awoke one morning, and saw that Murtagh and Thorn had disappeared. Eragon gasped. "Nasuada!" he screamed. He looked around him, hoping that maybe Murtagh was still lurking around.

Eragon cursed. He had failed. Murtagh is probably on his way to Galbotorix, and the tyrant will torture him, and make him stronger.

Then, Eragon saw the dwarf population of the Varden approach him with weapons. What was happening?

Eragon saw Orik leading them and Arya among them.

And Murtagh, tied up, being dragged across the gravel by her.

Murtagh was screaming in pain.

When Arya was a short distance away from him, she smirked cruelly. "Hello Eragon." Her voice made him shudder. It was cruel. It was different. It was as if she was possessed by Galbatorix.

"What are you doing?" he asked when he found his voice. "Let him go." Eragon unsheathed his sword and ran for Murtagh. He ran two strides and then fell backwards, as if there was a barrier between him and the group of dwarves.

"The only thing that can get past this barrier is your sword," she said. She kicked Murtagh towards where the barrier was. He grunted in pain when he hit the invisible wall.

Eragon tried to touch Murtagh but couldn't. The wall was there. It was invisible. Arya had used magic and made the barrier.

"Don't try," Orik laughed. "Now pick up that sword of yours and stab him."

"You are all mad!" Eragon screamed. He looked at Murtagh.

"Please, Eragon," Murtagh said. "Don't kill me. I want to live. Please don't let them kill Thorn!"

"What are you waiting for? Kill him!" Arya said violently. "Don't let his words fool you. I would have killed him myself, but I'm not the one who swore to do so."

"I would kill you, Arya, before I kill him," he was serious. He no longer loved her. Her beauty, for once, played no role in his feelings for her. He hated her now. He despised her. He gathered the courage to pick up his sword and point it Arya.

She backed away from where the wall is, so he couldn't reach her with his sword. She was obviously shocked, for her jaw dropped.

"You will kill him, Eragon," Orik said in a rather calm voice. "Bring the pot!"

A group of dwarves came, in their hands a pot, inside the pot, boiling oil. Orik took a metal rod and dipped into the oil, and slowly lowered the rod until it was and inch from Murtagh's face. A drop off oil hit his face and he screamed as it burned through his skin.

Eragon used his sword to stop it from touching Murtagh's face. Orik looked calm, though. He simply dragged Murtagh away from the barrier, took another rod and placed it on Murtagh's face. Murtagh screamed.

"Stop it! Please stop it! Eragon, please, help me!" Orik lifted the rod, revealing a scar on Murtagh face. Murtagh wept in pain.

Eragon also wept. He pitied Murtagh. How can any organism not pity him? How can the dwarves and Arya be able to look at Murtagh in ease?

"Killing him would mean he would not have to suffer the pain of torture that we will proudly provide for him," said Orik. He kicked him back towards the barrier. "Kill him. I will forgive you, if you kill him now, without hesitation."

"Don't kill me," Murtagh said in between gasps. "No matter what, don't kill me."

Eragon wept even more. "I will not."

Orik then dragged Murtagh and began torturing him more.

By that time, many of the Varden were watching the scene, and Nasuada was making her way through the crowd. When she got a glimpse of Murtagh, she screamed. She ran towards where the barrier was and fell when she got to it. "Murtagh!" she screamed.

Murtagh did something unexpected when he heard his name. He smiled, although he was tearful. His face turned towards Nasuada and he smiled even though Orik was melting the skin on his leg.

His face was unforgettable. It was bloody, at first. His tears came out of his eyes, and trickled down his cheeks, picking up blood along the way. He was crying tears of blood, yet he was smiling.

"Orik, stop!" she yelled, staring at Murtagh and weeping at the sight.

"Sorry lady, but that will not happen," Orik kept melting away Murtagh's skin.

"Eragon! Do something!" But Eragon had nothing he could do. He tried using magic so that he could be able to pass though it the barrier, but it was all in vain. He had only one idea left.

"Nasuada," he said to her, "torture me." She was taken aback. "Blackmail them. Torture me and say that you will not stop until Murtagh is free." Nasuada thought about it for a second.

"Trianna!" she called.

"Yes lady," she said as she stepped away from the group of people.

"Can you torture with magic?" she asked.

"I can but I would not."

"Well you will because I am ordering you to torture Eragon," she said.

"What?" Trianna was surprised, she looked at Eragon.

"Just do it, Trianna, I'll explain later," Eragon said to her.

"No, I won't."

"It is an order!" Nasuada was impatient.

"No!" Traianna said once more. Eragon was also angry. Trianna was being loyal, yet difficult. He pointed his sword at her.

"Torture me or you will die," he said angrily. She gasped lightly, too stunned to move. "Hurry!" he yelled as he got a glimpse of Murtagh's face once more. She nodded, trembling and began. She muttered something in the ancient language that Eragon could not catch because directly after that he was in pain.

He dropped his sword and fell to the ground immediately. He was restless, tossing and turning, feeling the most pain he had ever felt. The pain was strong, exceedingly strong. That is the only way it could be described.

Eragon was focused entirely on the pain. He did not realize what was happening around him.

Whatever happened, Trianna stopped the spell and he was free from the pain. He was on his side, gasping for breath. Arya had also lifted the spell that made the barrier, because she was at his side as soon the pain stopped. Murtagh was free. He guessed that his plan worked.

"Eragon!" screamed Arya. She was crying. "What were you thinking?"

Eragon then got up to his feet and backed away from her. "Don't you come near me again," he yelled. It took him while to understand what he was blurting. It took him a while to understand that he went from being crazy in love with her to hating her to the extent he had to resist suffocating her, all in a few minutes.

"I'm sorry," she said, sobbing.

"Get away from me. Don't let me see your face again, or I just might kill you," he turned and walked towards Murtagh, leaving her sobbing to herself.

When he got to Murtagh, Nasuada and The Du Vrangr Gata, excluding Trianna, were already there, healing Murtagh, and Nasuada holding his hand.

"Eragon, good, you are alright. Do you have enough energy to spare and help heal Murtagh?" Nasuada asked him, wiping away her tears.

Eragon began healing a wound on Murtagh's leg, as he asked, "Where is Trianna?"

"She was trembling after she finished torturing you, so she was ordered to go and rest," said one of the healers. Eragon nodded. He made a mental note to thank her, as well as apologize for threatening to take her life.

When Murtagh's wounds were healed, Murtagh began to speak. "Thank you, Eragon. Thank you very much. I am in your debt. If I were able, I would bow down to you. Though, please, if I may ask of you one more favour."

Eragon nodded.

"Find Thorn. He's telling me he's with Saphira."

He had comepletely forgotten about Saphira. He then reached out with his mind to her.

Finally. I've been trying to reach you but couldn't. You kept blocking me. It was a relief to hear her voice in his head.

I'm so glad you're alright. You are with Thorn, right?

Yes.

What happened?

There were a bunch of dwarves stabbing him with a stick. I gave them a roar they'll remember forever. What happened with Murtagh?

Long story. And so Eragon explained.

You want me to help gain vengeance? I will gladly scar that beautiful face of hers. How dare she? How dare Orik?

Ignore her. Eragon hated speaking of her. And Orik.

Whatever you say.

Murtagh wants to see Thorn. Can you bring him here?

I'll be there.

"They're on their way," Eragon said to Murtagh.

Murtagh was able to sit up, struggling with the ropes that were tied around him. Nasuada glanced at him, and then ordered Eragon to untie Murtagh.

Eragon stared at Nasuada in disbelief.

"Untie him? He'll run back to Galbotorix," Eragon thought that Nasuada did not understand what was happening to order something like this, so explained further, "He swore fealty to Galbotorix in the ancient language. He will be forced to escape us and go back."

"I understand, Eragon," Nasuada said impatiently. "I have a feeling that his true name changed. If his true name changed then he would no longer be bound to Galbotorix."

"How can you be sure? You cannot possibly be willing to take the risk. It is difficult to change one's true name."

"I have no time for this!" Nasuada was angry. "Just untie him. I order you to untie him. The ropes are digging into his flesh."

What surprised Eragon was not only the fact that Nasuada was being exceedingly risky, but that Murtagh had not said a word. He did not seem to object to what Nasuada said. He seems to be happy to take the risk that could lead him to go back to Galbotorix and experience worse torture.

Eragon did not move. He did not obey Nasuada.

She rolled her eyes and took a knife from a soldier nearby and cut the ropes herself. Eragon was too late when he tried to stop her. He expected that Murtagh would jump at the opportunity and run towards where Thorn is, but he was stable. He sat there, looking blankly at the cut ropes. Nasuada ordered the ropes away. Murtagh just massaged where the ropes had been hurting his skin.

"Thank you, Lady Nasuada," he said. He didn't seem surprised at the fact that he was not running towards Galbotorix. He seemed so calm about everything, as if he knew that his True Name had changed. It confused Eragon.

"Aren't you surprised that you aren't bound to Galbotorix anymore?" Eragon asked in utter confusion.

"I felt as if I had changed, so I was expecting it," Murtagh said nervously. Eragon was not convinced.

"No, I believe you're hiding something… you escaped before? Nasuada seemed to know it as well… Explain!" Eragon demanded.

Nasuada sighed. "Murtagh is the father of my child," Nasuada announced.

It surprisingly did not startle Eragon. He had a feeling that the father was Murtagh. He did not want to get into detail into what happened and how and why it happened. I will question her later, he said to himself mentally. It would be an interesting story to hear indeed.

REVIEW YOUR BUTT OFF, K? please review... (yah, i know this story was a bit rushed nd choppy, lacking detail... i feel as if you didnt understand the chapter... did you?) again, sorry for the lack or romance... more will happen in the next chappie, and youll proabbly hear from the next chappie earlier if your review... K? (and btw, sorry for the slightly higher rating...) PLEASE REVIEW FOR the SAKE of MANKIND and ALL that is GOOD in this WORLD. Thannxxx